LNG

The European Union reduced imports of pipeline gas from Russia five-fold in 2023, while its purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas cargoes increased by around 38 percent from the Novatek-operated Yamal export plant in Northern Siberia and could rise further in 2024.

Naturgy Energy, the power company with LNG operations from Puerto Rico to Europe and pipeline gas networks from Algeria to South America, reported a more than 20 percent rise in annual net profits.

French utility and LNG market participant Engie reported a more than 60 percent surge in revenues, though real net income plunged and the company said it was going ahead with an arbitration procedure against Russia’s Gazprom.

July 7 (LNGJ) - The laden LNG tanker “Georgiy Ushakov”, which is carrying a Russian cargo, was in the Bay of Biscay off the West Coast of France awaiting orders, according to shipping data. The 172,000 cubic metres capacity Bahamas-flagged carrier lifted a cargo on June 29 from the Yamal LNG export plant in Arctic Russia.

   The only other LNG carrier in the area was the 134,733 cubic metres vessel “Zekreet” on its way to Zeebrugge. The ship is scheduled to berth at the Belgian port on July 11 after leaving the Ras Laffan export plant in Qatar on June 20.

March 23 (LNGJ) - In LNG shipping activity there were fewer ships near land on March 23 than is normal with impending deliveries at terminals in the Atlantic Basin and the Mediterranean. One of the few was the 142,650 cubic metres capacity vessel “LNG Niger River” with a cargo from the Nigerian plant at Bonny Island and scheduled to be discharged on March 29 at the French Montoir-de-Bretagne terminal on the Atlantic coast, according to shipping data.

   The 177,000 cubic metres Cypriot-flagged vessel “Fedor Litke” was heading through the English Channel on March 23 and awaiting orders after lifting a cargo on March 16 from the Sabetta loading terminal at the Yamal plant in Arctic Russia.

Elengy, the French LNG terminal operator and its subsidiary Fosmax LNG, are launching an open season for capacity subscriptions at the Fos Cavaou facility, located in the Mediterranean west of the Port of Marseilles.

Three of France’s LNG terminals, Fos Tonkin, Fos Cavaou in the Mediterranean and Montoir-de-Bretagne on the Atlantic Coast, are operated by Elengy within the Engie Group and as subsidiaries of GRTgaz, France’s gas network operator.

Fosmax LNG is calling for capacity subscriptions at the Fos Cavaou terminal during 2021.

The Fos Cavaou facility has been operating since 2010 and has three storage tanks with combined capacity of 330,000 cubic metres.

France has a total of four terminals and the most modern facility opened in 2016 at Dunkirk on the Channel Coast and has capacity of 570,000 cubic metres in three tanks.

Elengy explained that Fos Cavaou’s operations are currently guaranteed through to March 2030 by ongoing subscriptions and contracts totaling 87 terawatt hours per year of capacity.

“Fos Cavaou, at the crossroads of maritime routes and major gas infrastructures, offers a privileged access to all European gas markets and the small-scale potential in a key Mediterranean location,” said Elengy.

“The ‘Open Season Fos Cavaou 2021’ is initiated in response to a high level of market interest expressed over the past few months, and aims to make available additional primary capacity achieved through technical and regulatory de-bottlenecking, as well as capacity extensions beyond 2030,” explained Elengy

The windows of interest offered include 1.0 billion cubic metres per annum from January 2022, 2.5 Bcm per annum from January 2024 and 4.5 Bcm per annum from April 2030 until 2045 or longer.

The open season will have two phases. Firstly, there will be a non-binding call for interest, which is expected to last for three months to precisely assess market needs.

Secondly, there will be a binding Open Season, which is expected during the second half of 2021 to perform a market test based on binding commitments of the parties.

“Registration for ‘Open Season Fos Cavaou 2021’ is now open, and shippers wishing to register are invited to complete and sign the Confidentiality Agreement, provided on the Fosmax LNG website, and send a digital copy by email return,” explained Elengy.

The shipbuilding unit of Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been granted approval for a liquefied natural gas fuel gas supply system (FGSS) for marine four-stroke, dual-fuel engines.

Engie of France, whose widespread operations include utilities, gas networks and a liquefied natural gas business, has named Catherine MacGregor as its new Chief Executive after she had previously been lined up to head the LNG engineering spin-off from TechnipFMC.

Engie, the French energy company and utility with LNG interests and with growing renewable assets in Europe, said it would become a retail natural gas supplier for three markets in the northeast US state of Massachusetts after last year selling its LNG import terminal near Boston.

April 2 (LNGJ) - Elengy, France’s main LNG terminal operator, has issued new tariffs for the use of its two regulated terminals from the start of April 2019. Elengy revealed that there had been further decreases of 4 percent for the Montoir-de-Bretagne facility on the Atlantic Coast and a 5 percent reduction in tariffs at the Fos Tonkin facility near the Mediterranean port of Marseille.

   “Tariff applicable from 1 April 2019 for a standard cargo, about 150 000 cubic metres or 1 terawatt hour (TWh) is 0.79 euro per megawatt hour at Montoir and 1.22 euro per MWh at Fos Tonkin,” said Elengy, with further details available on its Web site. “In addition, there is a 25 percent discount (approx.) on the spot service (last minute booking, i.e. made after the 20th of month) of 0.59 euro per MWh at Montoir for a full Q-Flex type cargo,” added Elengy.